Cooling unit and combination air circulator and drip pan for the same



Aug. 3; 1937. R. w. KRITZER COOLING UNIT AND COMBINATION AIR CIRCULATOR AND DRIP PAN FOR THE SAME I 2 Sheets-Sheet l -II4. v \\\\\\N\ Au 3, 1937. R.w. KRITZER 2,088,796

COOLING UNIT AND COMBINATION AIR CIRCULATOR AND DRIP PAN FOR THE SAME 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Filed Feb; 25 1934 Patented Aug. 3, 1937 PATENT OFFICE COOLING AND COMBINATION AIR CIRCULATOR AND DRIP PAN FOR THE SAME' Richard W. Kritzer, Chicago, Ill. Application February 23, 1934, Serial No. 712,448

'1 Claims.

My invention'relates to a new and useful form of cooling unit, air circulator and drip pan means for cooling units used to set up a convection cirunlessthe bottom leg otthe bailled drip pan has a great pitch, the cooled air has to'move horizontally for an appreciable distance. This horizontal movement toward the spill edge of the drip pan can only be attained by a build up of the static head of the air due to its being cooled,

D and increased in weight per unit volume due to the cooling shrinkage.

The build up of the static head automatically throttles the convection circulation of the air in e the compartment, and reduces the mean temperature difference between the circulated air and the cooling unit, thereby decreasing the maximum heat absorption of the cooling unit.

maximum possible heat absorption and convec- 30 tion circulation of air under given conditions of temperature diflerences between, the air and the cooling unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a definite convection circulation of air in all parts 35 of the refrigerated compartment. 7

Another object of the invention is to take advantage of the natural air movements due to thermal changes and inertia of movement.

, A further object of the invention is topro- 40 vide means whereby the drip from the cooling unit is entrapped and conducted to a drain.

Figure 1 is an end ,elevational view of arefrig'erated compartment containing a cooling unit and combination air circulator and drip 5 pan embodying the invention.

, Figure 2 is an elevational view along line A'A of Figure 1. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the cooling unit I is comprised of parallel courses of a refrig- 50 erant conduit 2, the parallel courses being joined not shown. The parallel courses of the conduit 2 have a multiplicity of fin plates I mounted 55 thereon in order to increase the effective heat Anobject ofthe invention is to attain the v transfer. In the center of the cooling unit l is a space 5. The end tie plates 6 serve to keep the parallel courses of the conduit 2 in alignment. Suspended from the end tie plates 6 are spacer-supports I upon which are mounted louvres 8 and deflector-9 in spaced relationship. v Suspended from the louvres 8 is a collector trough- 10 having a connection H, which may be connected to a sewer. The channels I! of the louvres 8' spill into the collector trough 'III. The lduvres 8 have, at their upper end, a turned lip l3, and a vertical line from this turned lip passes through the trough I! of the adjacent louvre 8. Intermediate the troughs l2 and lips l3 of the louvres 8 is a bend l4 providing an in creased space at l5 over that which would exist without this bend,

Reference to Figures 1 and 2 shows that the spacer-supports l have turned lips engaging the upper side of louvres 8, which are bolted or riveted thereto.- It will be further noted that any drippage from the spacer-supports I must always drop into the channels l2 of the louvres 8, instead of being allowed to reach the underside of the louvres 8, as would occur, if the spacer-support -l engaged the under side of the louvres 8.

The above combination is substantially centered in a compartment l6, providing warm air passages II at each side of the cooling unit I suspended a certain distance from the ceiling l8 of the compartment I6.

Having described the component parts of the invention, I shall now describe their operation. Assuming a refrigerant being circulated in the conduit 2, the cooling unit I will absorb heat from the air, which will deposit moisture in the form of frost, if the temperature is sufliciently low, upon the surfaces of the cooling unit I.

The air, immediately adjacent the unit, upon being cooled, shrinks in volume and the weight per unit volume increases, thereby tending to drop. The cooled air issuing from the unit displaces warm air which rises in the passages I'I.

Dueto the temperature diiference between the cooling unit I and the warm air the cooling unit I actsexactly like a pump over its entire area,

the top of the cooling unit may be compared to the suction and the bottom of the cooling coil 'may be compared to the discharge of a pump.

Obviously, if the cooling unit I has an appreciable width, there must also be an appreciable horizontal movement of the air between the celling of the compartment I6 and the top ofthe cooling unit I. Itthe passages l1 and the temperatures oi the air passing therethrough are equal, both horizontal columns of air will tend to move toward the center of the cooling unit I. This horizontal movement of the air imparts inertia of movement thereto and since the movement is initiated by the down draft through the cooling unit i, it follows, that the cooled air issuing from the cooling unit I will have a certain horizontal velocity, which will show up in the air assuming a direction of movement an guiar to both the vertical and horizontal.

- The louvres 8 are pitched toward each other, as indicated, so as to take advantage of the angular movement of the air issuing from the cooling unit I.

' Whenever the circulation of refrigerant ceases, the moisture frosted upon the surfaces of the cooling unit 1 starts to drip off in the form of water, which is collected in the troughs l2,,

which being pitched toward the collector trough Ill allows the water to spill into the same and pass therefrom through connection II, which tween the bottom of cooling unit I and the upper edges of the louvres 8, which space is open to two 01' the adjacent side walls of the com partment I, the two extreme end louvres 8 do not attain a temperature sufficiently low, at ordinary humidities, to deposit moisture upon their under sides, which are in contact with the ascending stream of warm air in the passages II.

The space which separates both sectionsoi the cooling unit I and deflector 9 provides for an increased outlet area between the two center louvres I in respect to the amount of cooling unit I, that they serve, as compared to the space 5 being absent.

I claim:

1. In a louvred drip pan assembly comprising a plurality of channels, means intermediate the ends of the channels for spacing'the same,,the lower portion of the spacing means being of such shape and so fastened to the channels at such engaging the fin flange to provide a suspension for the drip pan.

4. The combination of a cooling unit having end plates through which project the return bends of the refrigerant conduit circuit, a plurality of drip channels, means holding said channels in spaced relation and maintaining them in position below the unit to receive the drip from said conduit circuit, said means being suspended from said end plates.

5. The combination of a cooling unit having end plates through which'project the return bendsof the refrigerant conduit circuit, a plurality of drip channels, means holding said channels in spaced relation and -maintaining them in position below the unit to receive the drip from said conduit circuit, saidv means being suspended from said end plates and trough means positioned to receive the discharge from said channels.

6. The combination of a cooling unit, a noncased drip pan comprised of a plurality of drip channels suspended below the cooling unit to receive drippage from the cooling unit, means to both space and support the channels, the said means depending from the cooling unit, and trough means supported by and common to all the channels for receiving their drippage.

7. The combination of a cooling unit having.

end plates through which project the return bends of a refrigerant conduit circuit, a drip pan comprised oi. a'plurality of drip channels suspended below the cooling unit to receive drippage from the cooling unit, means to both space and support the channels, the said means depending from the said end plates, and trough means supported by and common to all the channels for receiving their drlpm RICHARD W. KRITZER. 

